The by-laws of Northern Community Mediation stipulate that the board consists of a minimum of five and a maximum of 15 members. Each term begins on January 1 and ends three years later on December 31. A director may serve a total of two consecutive terms.
Mitch Brown, President
Realtor
Cyndy Tonkavich, Vice President
Retired Teacher
Mark Andresky, Treasurer
Certified Exit Planner, Business Intermediary & Business Appraiser
Suzanne Kanine, Secretary
Emmet County Clerk
Judy Zorn, Member-at-Large
Retired
Jenny Brower, Licensed Insurance Agent
Bill Cattin, Retired Safety & Compliance Engineer
Denise Drake, Retired from JP Morgan
Josh Galle, Talent Acquisition Manager
Jason Guthrie, Owner of Executive Search Firm
Phil Harmon, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa
Lisa Hoyt, Petoskey Chamber Membership Director
Harry (Hob) Ingleson, Attorney
Nikki LaDeur, Software/Human Resources
Jody McLeod, Attorney / Owner of McLeod Legal Solutions
Mitch Brown, President
Realtor
Mitch graduated from Central Michigan University. He spent the majority of his career in Retail Management as a Store Director. In 2012 he brought the first Which Wich Superior Sandwich franchise to Michigan. He owned and operated the location in Petoskey until he sold it in 2018. Since then he has become a licensed Real Estate Agent. He currently is with RE/MAX Lighthouse in Petoskey.
Mitch serves on the Resort Bear Creek Fire Department Administrative Board. He is also a Bear Creek Township Planning and Zoning Administrator. When not working, you will find Mitch at the gym or spending time with his wife, Merry enjoying our great community.
Cyndy Tonkavich, Vice President
Retired Teacher
Cyndy and her family sailed the Great Lakes for years. It was their dream to live in northern Michigan. They found a perfect piece of land on the south arm of Lake Charlevoix where they built their retirement home.
Cyndy is a mother, a grandmother, and a retired 5th grade teacher. She understands that when conflict and anger interfere with life, families and children suffer. She believes mediation can help people through these difficult times.
After moving here, Cyndy became involved with the Boyne Valley Garden Club. She served as co-president for two years and now heads their annual holiday wreath and garland sale. She is proud to help at the Good Neighbors Food Pantry. This past summer, she got back on the water as a deck hand on the Ironton Ferry!
Mark Andresky, Treasurer
Certified Exit Planner, Business Intermediary & Business Appraiser
Mark concentrates his practice on helping small business owners plan and execute their transitions out of their businesses through comprehensive transition planning and business sales. He is a Certified Exit Planner, Certified Business Intermediary, Mergers & Acquisitions Mark Andresky, CExP, CEPA, ABI, CBI, M&AMI is a Principal with Performance Business Advisors, LLC. Master Intermediary, Business Appraiser, and Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker.
Mark is the Past-President of the West Michigan Chapter of the Michigan Business Brokers Association, a Director of its state Board, and an active member of the Exit Planning Institute, International Business Brokers Association, M&A Source, International Society of Business Appraisers, and Business Enterprise Institute. He also serves on the Charlevoix Advisory Committee of the Charlevoix County Community Foundation.
Mark is a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Charlevoix, MI where he serves as the Treasurer and chairs the Endowment and Finance Committees. He is an Assistant District Governor and Trainer for Rotary District 6290, Past President of the Charlevoix Rotary Club, and serves on his club’s Board of Directors and as the club’s Rotary Foundation Chair. He was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, studying in Strasbourg, France in 1988 – 89.
Mark earned his Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from Washington and Jefferson College. He writes and speaks regularly throughout the country on a variety of transition planning, business valuation, and real estate topics.
Suzanne Kanine, Secretary
Emmet County Clerk
Suzanne has served in the Emmet County Clerk’s office for almost six years and was recently elected to be the County Clerk. Previously, she served 16 years in the Air National Guard as Technical Sergeant in Aircraft Maintenance. After graduating from Central Michigan University, she worked with at-risk youth as the Outdoor Recreation Coordinator at West Midland Family Center.
Suzanne lives just outside of Petoskey with her husband, Jake, and three children, Brady, Jackson, and Addison. She spends a majority of her free time watching her children play sports. When she is not at the ball fields, she enjoys almost any outdoor activity with her family.
Judy Zorn, Member-at-Large
Retired Attorney & Non-Profit Executive
Judy received her Bachelor of Music degree from St. Louis University. She maintained a private studio, coaching singers and giving voice lessons, in addition to performing as soloist with many organizations, such as the Detroit Symphony Chorale and the Kenneth Jewel Chorale. She attended Detroit College of Law, and after receiving her Juris Doctorate degree, practiced law for 25 years, specializing in the representation of individuals with bipolar and schizophrenia.
Judy’s family has had a house on Burt Lake for the past 40 years. Upon moving full time to Burt Lake almost seven years ago, Judy took a position as the Executive Director of the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra in Petoskey. Recently retired from the Orchestra, Judy now enjoys spending more time with family, as well as playing golf, gardening, and continuing with other musical pursuits.
Jenny Brower
Licensed Sales Agent
Jenny grew up in Petoskey and prior to being hired at her brother’s insurance agency in Harbor Springs way back in 1982, her early work experience included the following: she was first a baby sitter for his daughter Ashley (now owner of the agency), then a newpaper carrier for the Petoskey News Review. Next, she dabbled a few years as a popcorn girl for the down town Gaslight Cinema, and then she proposed and started a program for Harbor Cove modeled after the Bay View Boys & Girls Club, which she attended as a kid and was the activities director for Harbor Cove it’s first Summer. Lastly she was recruited to be a Toy salesgirl for Game’s Imported which was managed by the sister of her former boss at the Cinema.
Since landing years ago in her insurance career, her brother encouraged her to join the Petoskey Area Jaycees and thus began a long history of volunteering and local service in the community. A great believer in her mother’s teaching that “the more you do the more you can do” – Jenny strives to stay involved in good local causes and usually finds that to be a win/win proposition, much to her delight. She served many local organizations, including both the Petoskey and Harbor Springs Chambers of Commerce, The Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, Camp Daggett, Petoskey’s Downtown Marketing Committee, The Harbor Springs Lyric Theatre, and in 2022 began serving on the board of Northern Community Mediation. She is presently a member of The Petoskey Sunrise Rotary Club, and in 2011, was selected to serve as the Club’s President – the same year her friend and mentor, Jane Millar, of Northern Community Mediation served as the Rotary 6290 District President.
Growing up and living in the Petoskey and Harbor Springs communities have given Jenny many local ties and her father’s long ago advice to her that “it’s not what you know, but who you know” has also proven to be a valuable commodity for connecting people and causes and getting things done. As Jenny nears her 40th year in the insurance business, she credits her early co-workers, Doriene Cone and Meredith Arneil for much of what she has learned and been able to achieve. They would be the best example of relying on “who you know” for being able to grow into the insurance agent she is today.
In her spare time, Jenny enjoys being with friends – particularly dining with friends – and travel … which can never happen often enough but being able to live and work here is great consolation!
Bill Cattin
Retired Safety & Compliance Engineer
Bill has a BS in Physics from Alma College, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan. After a 20 year career at Ford Motor Company, he took early retirement in 2007 and moved permanently to Harbor Springs in 2010 where he owns and manages a retail property.
In addition to being a volunteer mediator at NCM since 2017, Bill has been a volunteer at the Lyric Theatre in Harbor Springs since it opened in 2016 and can be found behind the counter most Friday and Saturday nights.
Bill is single, but shares his home with Lewis, a three-legged cat he recently adopted from LTBHS. In his spare time, he enjoys adventure-based travel, photography, skiing, and mountain biking, hiking and snowshoeing in the beautiful woods of northern Michigan and the UP.
Denise Drake, Retired Executive
After a career devoted to management and leadership development that spanned several industries including over 20 years at JPMorgan Chase, Denise Drake retired in 2015. She and her husband Paul used their first year of retirement to complete America’s Great Loop, living aboard their boat for nearly a year. They then made Petoskey, where they had owned a second home for many years, their full time home where they continue to seek out new adventures.
Denise has enjoyed volunteering for many organizations throughout the years including Make a Wish, Hospice House and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. In Petoskey she has worked with Women’s Resource Center, Manna Food Pantry and Northern Community Mediation.
Denise’s career focus was on helping managers and teams resolve conflict through effective communication, which lead to her belief in the power of mediation to solve problems. She has been a volunteer mediator since 2017 and is honored to join the board. She was named Veteran Mediator of the year in 2020.
Denise holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master’s Degrees in Human Resource Development and Clinical Behavioral Psychology.
Josh Galle
Talent Acquisition Manager
Josh is a Human Resources professional with 20years of Talent Acquisition and Senior Human Resources Business Partner experience spanning from the mlitary to financial services to telecommunications to healthcare and insurance to manufacturing industries. Today, Josh serves as the Talent Acquisition Manager for Petoskey Plastics, Inc. He is responsible for the company’s talent acqusition efforts across the country.
Having served two tours of duty in Fallujah, Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Josh is a combat decorated United States Marine Corps veteran. He is a Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). In 2012, he was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel by the Governor of Kentucky.
Josh hs been married to his wife Jessica for 19 years. She is the secretary at Sheridan Elementary School in Petoskey. Together they have a son Ty, who is a freshman at Petoskey High School. He runs Cross Country & track and is involved with the Petoskey Paladin’s Robotics Team. They also have a daughter Ella, who dances with the Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet. During the summer months, she is intensely involved with ballet programs around the country. Josh and his family made Petoskey their permanent home in 2021 and are delighted to be a part of this northern Michigan community.
Jason Guthrie
Executive Recruiting Firm Owner
Jason is a long time resident of Petoskey. He graduating from Petoskey High School in 1988. After attending Western Michigan University, Jason worked in the automotive industry in Detroit. He moved back to Petoskey in 2002 and started his career as an executive recruiter in the manufacturing industry. Jason now manages his own executive search firm in Petoskey.
He is married with 2 beautiful girls, and enjoys golf, tennis and camping with his family.
Phil Harmon
Executive Director Unit 1 of Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa
Phil Harmon is the Executive Director, Unit 1 of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and is a Tribal Citizen. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and moved to Petoskey in 2001 to work for the Tribe as a Probation Officer. Over the years, he has held several positions with the LTBB Government. He has been in his current position as Executive Director, Unit I since November of 2016.
Phil considers it an honor and privilege to work for his Tribe. One of his duties and responsibilities as the Executive Director of Unit I is to help with disputes in the workplace. When he was notified about the opportunity to go through the mediation training, he was “super excited to get the training.” He successfully completed the mediation training in 2019 and was on track to start mediating before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He is hoping to beginning mediating early in January 2021.
In my personal life I enjoy spending time with my son Peyton. He’s an 8th grader at Petoskey Middle School. We are two peas in a pod as we both enjoy sports, hunting, fishing, snowshoeing, and pretty much anything to do with the outdoors. It’s my greatest honor in life to be a dad.
Phil said, “I’m honored to be a member of the Northern Community Mediation Board. I’ll do my best to fulfill my duties and responsibilities and to help ensure a bright future for NCM.
Lisa Hoyt
Petoskey Chamber of Commerce
Lisa joined the Petoskey Chamber in January 2007 as Membership Director. Previous to this she worked at LexaLite in Charlevoix in Marketing and International Sales.
In June 2014, Lisa earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and remains active on the Midwest Board of Regents. She received Michigan Chamber Professional of the Year designation in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Lisa has served on various local boards over the years and has enjoyed being a mentor of Leadership Charlevoix since 2011.
She began birding in 2013 and joined the Board of Directors of Petoskey Audubon Society the same year and helps with their marketing. Lisa was co-lead on the establishment of the Sunset Coast Birding Trail in 2017.
Lisa and her husband Dave have been married for 20 years and live in Charlevoix. Lisa enjoys exploring area preserves in search of different species of birds, cooking and travel.
Hob Ingleson
Attorney
Hob Ingleson is an attorney with the Bensinger, Cotant & Menkes Law Firm in Gaylord, Michigan. He received his J.D. degree from Michigan State University College of Law. Throughout his career his areas of practices have been varied, such as insurance defense litigation, medical malpractice and first and third party automobile claims.
In recent years, Hob has focused more on general civil litigation matters, business and real estate matters, and estate planning and probate litigation. He serves a very wide geographical area of clients throughout Michigan, often meeting in his clients’ homes or businesses.
Hob has been highly involved in community activities, . He is a former Camp Daggett Board of Directors member, served on the Kirtland Community College Foundation Board, belongs to Rotary, a past Hospice volunteer and a former member of the NW Michigan Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors to name a few.
Hob belongs to the State Bar of Michigan, Western District Bar Association, Emmet/Charlevoix Counties Bar Association, and the Otsego County Bar Association.
In his off-time, Hob enjoys maintaining the family farm, skiing, snow shoeing and hiking.
Lisa Hoyt, Membership Director Petoskey Chamber of Commerce
Nikki LaDeur
Software / Human Resources
Nikki LaDeur is a Customer Success Executive with SmartRecruiters. In her daily work, she consults with companies on their recruiting strategies to achieve Hiring Success. The last few months she has implemented a methodology and software to help her clients achieve quick time to value on their software purchase. Prior to SmartRecruiters she has worked in the areas of marketing, consulting, account management, and HR. She has a MBA and Bachelor degree from Quincy University.
For many years she was a customer advocate working to build relationships and bring to life the customer’s voice. While in these roles, Nikki facilitated discussions to develop and settle on solutions that met the involved’s needs. This experience is similar to the personal mediation strategies that NCM uses with their clients. With this experience Nikki is well suited to join the board of NCM.
She and her husband moved to the Petoskey area seven years ago when Scott accepted a position to teach at NCMC. New to the area Nikki was invited to join Noon Rotary. She’s served on their board for six years and led their marketing for the last five years.
Scott and Nikki have two children Izzy (5) and Ryan (8) and they currently live in Harbor Springs. In her spare time, Nikki enjoys photography and travel.
Jody McLeod
Attorney
Jody is a proven leader and licensed attorney in good standing with more than 30 years of experience- first as a successful state prosecuting attorney followed by various in-house counsel roles with increasing responsibilities at many large organizations. She has founded the legal consulting firm, McLeod Legal Solutions, in Charlevoix supplying businesses of all sizes with pragmatic, effective, and cost-effective legal solutions for their organizations.
Jody focuses on helping business leaders and HR teams navigate the far-reaching and high stakes complexities of legal issues working toward optimal resolutions. She has directed and conducted numerous workplace investigations, and cost-effectively resolved company litigation portfolios with the reputation of a ‘trusted legal advisor.’ The key to success is building a rapport with the business leaders while assessing their business strategies, risk appetite in line with company objectives and delivering practical and workable solutions.
Jody has a Bachelor of Arts form the University of Michigan (Economics and English), Juris Doctorate form Detroit Mercy Law, and an LLM in Labor and Employment from Wayne State University.